YES!

And from my example above, when I felt T "leave", and said something about it, my assumption was that he was thinking about his to-do list, or he was bored, or something. And when he said he DID leave, he told me it was because he was imaging for a second what it would be like to be in the situation I had described. So, I sensed him being "gone" and immediately assumed he was having negative or bored feelings...when in reality, he was empathizing. If I hadn't checked it out, I might have left with the thought of "I'm boring" instead of the true thought "T wants to know what it feels like to have my experience". Two totally different thoughts that lead to two totally different emotional reactions in me.

As for whether it's easier to read "positive" or "negative" emotions...I think I *trust* my reading of negative emotions more, because I am filtering through my own feelings about myself. So, if someone seems angry, it's easy for me to trust that. If someone seems like they love me, I think "well, THAT can't be right!". Yet another pattern I'm working hard to be able to recognize and change in therapy.